‘Handmaid’s Tale’ and ‘Day of the Jackal’ Producers on Rewriting Literary Worlds With TV Adaptations

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Contrary to popular belief, Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” didn’t exhaust all the storyline from Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel by the conclusion of its initial season. Instead, there is more narrative left unexplored.

Eric Tuchman, executive producer, admitted that the pilot covered most of the major events from the book. While there were some elements and incidents introduced later in the series, particularly the ending of season one, they mainly utilized the significant plot points in the initial episode.

The hit series “The Handmaid’s Tale” was renewed for its sixth and final season this year, requiring the writers to continually create new content while maintaining the book’s essence. This may seem like a luxury problem compared to the 15 Emmys the show has received, but adapting a novel for television is a complex and frequently encountered challenge. The modern TV scene is brimming with literary adaptations such as “Bridgerton,” “The Perfect Couple,” “Forever,” “Long Bright River,” and soon to come are adaptations of “We Were Liars” (in July).

The difficulty arises when trying to modernize a piece that has already been effectively translated onto the screen: How can we breathe new life into the intellectual property, making it relevant for today’s audiences, while incorporating elements that will captivate and astonish fans of the past versions without disrespecting their loyalty or the original work?

In David E. Kelley’s adaptation of Scott Turow’s 1986 legal thriller “Presumed Innocent,” which was previously a movie in 1990 starring Harrison Ford and Bonnie Bedelia, the changes include portraying the main character and his spouse as an interracial couple (played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Negga) and altering the climactic plot twist.

Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 novel “The Day of the Jackal,” a political assassination thriller that was well-received and mostly accurately adapted for the big screen in 1973 by director Fred Zinnemann, is getting a complete makeover in Peacock’s new series. This reinterpretation has been created by Ronan Bennett.

As a film enthusiast, I can say that transitioning from the original format to a 10-episode weekly series was quite a shift, but it presented an opportunity for us,” shares Gareth Neame, the executive producer of ‘Jackal.’ “We were able to preserve the main essence, while at the same time, we could venture into something fresh, more modern, and relatable. It’s all about making the story more resonant with our current times.

The story “Jackal” sheds its 1960s period backdrop and replaces its historically based character, French President Charles de Gaulle, with a new target – a fictional tech magnate named Ulle Dag Charles, played by Khalid Abdalla.

Nigel Marchant, executive producer on ‘Jackal’, states that the billionaire in question isn’t strictly good or bad,” he said. “Instead, this individual aims to do what’s right, but there’s an element of arrogance and a sense of divine power about him.

The show includes numerous subtle references to the movie, along with a major one – a nearly identical recreation of the Jackal’s long-range shooting practice scene involving a watermelon. Moreover, it was deliberately aimed to create a connection between the actor portraying the Jackal in the series, Eddie Redmayne, and his film counterpart, Edward Fox.

According to Neame, we were seeking someone who embodied the essence of Englishness. They are both products of exclusive private education, hailing from the upper-middle class. They possess an air of refinement, elegance, and sophistication, dressing immaculately in tailored Savile Row attire.

Despite six seasons and multiple creative twists, “The Handmaid’s Tale” consistently maintains its connection to Atwood’s original narrative. For instance, in June’s (Elisabeth Moss) voiceover at the start of Episode 8, she describes the appearance of the captive female breeders in the fictional totalitarian theocracy, Gilead, using phrases directly from the book (“a fairytale figure in a red cloak… bathed in blood”).

Executive producer Yahlin Chang notes, ‘The piece begins with a pair of lines, and these set the stage for the rest of the narration, which I composed.’

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2025-06-01 00:18